Free Music Monday: Ghostly International, Yo La Tengo and Jeff Mangum

This week we feature the first night of Hanukkah shows from Yo La Tengo, a secret Jeff Mangum show and a compilation from Ghostly International.

Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel has some free new tunes on offer this week.

NPR, those mighty masters of free music, are giving us a taste of the label Ghostly International. The Ann Arbor music makers are releasing the digital-only compilation “We’ll Never Stop Living This Way” and NPR is streaming it until Dec. 14. Label-members Gold Panda, School of Seven Bells and Matthew Dear all make appearances on the 30-track compilation. Head over to NPR Music to listen to “We’ll Never Stop Living This Way.”

Try to think of someone else who released one good record a decade ago and finds the kind of love Jeff Mangumdoes. Guess what—you can’t. Last Saturday, the founding member of Neutral Milk Hotel played a secret show in Bushwick at The Schoolhouse to much fanfare and a crowd of around 100 people. We couldn’t make it but International Tapes was there and has select recordings of the show. Cuts performed include Neutral Milk classics “King of Carrot Flowers” and “Two-Headed Boy.”

The Hanukkah season is upon us, and that means the annual Yo La Tengo shows over in Hoboken. For eight nights, the best shows in town aren’t even in town. Jeff Tweedy and members of Wilco recently joined the Ira and company. NYCTaper was there for the first night of action and has the recording over at his site.